Always Yours
by Lady's Secret
Summary: When Alexandria becomes the new night guard at the Natural History Museum, she never imagined that the exhibits would come to life, and she never expected to have to fight to save the tablet of Akhmenrah from falling into the wrong hands. She also didn't expect to fall in love with a certain Egyptian Pharaoh. (A/N: Just used the first title that popped into my head.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Alright, here's my second Night At The Museum fanfic! I hope you, the readers, enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own NATM or any of the characters.

Synopsis: A new night guard comes in to take Larry's place when he leaves to start his company. New friends and adventures await seventeen year old Alexandria in her new job as night guard at the Museum of Natural History.

Chapter One

"It's about time the pair of you got jobs." I simply listened as my adoptive father nagged at my brother and I to find work. I had been adopted as a baby from Egypt, and it was obvious that I was not related to my parents by blood, but they were the only parents I knew, and they had been good to me, raising me as their own. My older brother, Michael was a high school drop out. I had graduated a year early and I was going to use the year between high school and university to save up money.

"I have an interview today at the Museum of Natural history for a position as night guard. It pays pretty well."

"How much will it be?" My mum was a wonderful woman. Strict with discipline, but she was a very loving mother.

"Starting pay is twelve dollars an hour with full benefits, and if my work is good, I'll get a raise." I had always loved spending time at the museum, especially in the Egyptian exhibit. I had decided to apply to the University of Cambridge because of their top notch Egyptology department, which had numerous artifacts.

"That's good. Would you be able to get some groceries on the way home?" I nodded, putting my dishes in the sink.

"Sure, I can do that." I had a shower to clean myself up, get changed into something that looked professional and I headed out. I doubted that my brother would ever want to get a job. Walking into the museum, it was the same as it always had been. I went to the front desk.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Larry Daley. I have an interview with him."

"He's right over here. I'm Rebecca." We shook hands. Rebecca had said that she was working here as well.

"Good luck." I rang the bell that was outside the door. Larry proved to be pleasant.

"Have you ever worked as a night guard before?"

"No, I haven't. I love being at the museum and I figured it would be great. I'm hoping to save up for when I hope to go to university."

"Cool, where did you apply to?"

"I applied to the University of Cambridge to study Egyptology. I was adopted from Egypt, so it'll be nice to learn more about where I'm from."

"Alright. What skills do you have?"

"Well, I do have a black belt in martial arts, so I am more than capable of holding my own. I also know a lot about the exhibits here and besides English, I can speak fluent French and German."

"Well, your resume is great. When can you start?"

"Whenever is good."

"Alright, you can start tonight. Go home and get some sleep." I shook Larry's hand and left.

"Good luck with your company." I picked up the groceries on my way home. When I got there, my father was at work, my brother was out with a friend of his and my mother was watching television.

"How did the interview go?"

"I got the job and I start tonight." I was greeted with a big hug.

"Your first real job, I'm so proud of you! Go upstairs and get some sleep. What time do you have to be there?"

"Larry said to be there for eight."

"Alright, I'll wake you up at six then so you have time to eat and get ready." My mother put the groceries away and I hung my new uniform on my door and settled down for some sleep. It would be easy enough, guarding the museum. The pay was good too.

"Alexandria, time to get up." I was looking forward to my first night at work. I came downstairs in my uniform, much to the delight of my father who was also quite proud of me.

"Are you nervous?"

"A bit, but how hard could guarding a museum at night be?" I had dinner and then left for work. I lived just up the road from the museum, so most days I could walk. Walking inside, the last few patrons were leaving. The museum director, Dr McPhee, was busy telling off a few kids who were touching the exhibits. Larry was waiting for me by the front desk.

"Well, here I am. Ready to work. How hard could this job be anyway?" I noticed a sly look between Larry and Rebecca, it was as if they were hiding something.

"Trust me when I say you'll have a lot of fun." I was given a quick tour and a briefing of my duties. Then the doors were locked and I was all alone. I headed back out to the front lobby to sit down for a bit, but what greeted me when I got there floored me.

"What the hell?" I had muttered it so quietly I could barely hear it. The tyrannosaurus skeleton was moving around, and when it took notice of me, instead of having me for a midnight snack, it shook it's tail and was behaving like a puppy.

"You must be the new night guard." I turned to my left. It was none other than Theodore Roosevelt.

"Yeah, what the heck is going on and how are all the exhibits alive?"

"Follow me." I was lead up the Egyptian exhibit. The two twenty foot jackal guards were not impressed with me being there.

"There's the source of all this commotion. The tablet of Akhmenrah. Arrived here from the Nile expedition in 1952."

"So it is true. All the information I've read about the tablet being able to bring things to life is real after all." At that moment, I was introduced to another prominent exhibit.

"Alexandria, this is Akhmenrah. It's his tablet that brings the entire museum to life." I just couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it, but here, standing right before me, was an actual Egyptian Pharaoh.

"It's nice to meet you." I stumbled upon my words a bit. Not only was Akhmenrah very charming, he was a real cutie as well. I had a feeling the two of us would become good friends.

"You're handling this quite well."

"Well, I guess I was in too much shock to do anything but stand there." I was introduced to many other exhibits, including Sacagawea, Dexter and many others.

"So how long can we expect you to be here?"

"I'll be here for a year. I applied to university and acceptance letters aren't being sent out until next week."

"Which school did you apply to?"

"One you should be quite familiar with. I applied to the University of Cambridge to study Egyptology." Dexter had taken quite a shine to me. Apparently he would frequently slap Larry whenever he got the chance.

"I was on display there for quite a while." 

"I know, I've read so much about you and your family." I could see that I had hit a nerve at that point. I apologized, hoping I had not offended him.

"It's fine. Nobody here has ever asked about my family."

"I'm sure everyone would love to hear your stories."

"Well, it's not exactly something I enjoy talking about."

"I know that feeling. I'm adopted myself. I don't know who my real parents are. I was the only student at my high school that wasn't born in this country."

"Where were you born then?"

"I was born in Egypt, and my birth name was Halima after a high priestess during your father's reign. My adopted parents changed my name to Alexandria when they brought me here when I was a baby." Akhmenrah came with me to make sure all the exhibits got back to their correct locations before the sun came up. I had learned that most of them just wandered around as they pleased.

"It was nice to meet you." I could feel my cheeks going pink. I had only known Akhmenrah for a few hours and I liked him already.

"Uh, yeah. It was great to meet you." We said our good byes and I went to clock out for the day. Getting to the lobby, Rebecca and a few other employees had arrived just a few minutes after the sun came up.

"So how was your first night?"

"Well, it was interesting. A lot more fun than I thought it would be." I got home that morning, being greeted by the smell of a freshly cooked breakfast. My brother was still asleep.

"How was your first night?"

"It was alright. Nothing special." I hated lying to people, but the fact that the museum came to life at night was a closely guarded secret.

"Well, it sounds like you had a long night." I happily dug into the pancakes and bacon. I was very hungry. I guess playing with museum exhibits and riding a dinosaur skeleton will do that to you.

"Well, it's nice that you're doing something with your life." I slept for the majority of the day, getting up a bit earlier than usual to get a few things I could take with me. I was liking my job already.

"Have fun." I nodded, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll try to." With that, I closed the door behind me.

If only I knew how little things could change in a few short hours.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

In my bag, I had a new rope for Rexy, and some books I wanted to show Akhmenrah. When everyone woke up, I spent some time playing in the lobby. Rexy was just darling, thinking he was a puppy.

"Think you're stronger than me, huh? We'll just see about that!" We played for a bit, and several times Rexy had sent me flying into something, but I knew he didn't mean to hurt me. I had brought a soccer ball for the exhibits to play with, and they certainly enjoyed it. I enjoyed my job, especially getting to spend time with Akhmenrah. He had taught me a great deal in the past two weeks, and we had become very good friends.

"These books sound interesting. Things have changed so much." I nodded.

"Yeah, three thousand years is a long time." It seemed as if every night was like this. Each day that passed was one day closer to me leaving for England. I would return to my position as night guard upon my return, but the only question I had was where would Dr McPhee find a person who could do what I do? I doubted he could.

"How much longer until you leave?" We had soon been joined by Jedediah and Octavius. The two miniatures observed as Akhmenrah taught me how to play Senet, a game he learned as a child.

"I've got three more months. I do doubt though that McPhee will find someone who can handle the responsibility of being night guard here."

"You should have seen the look on Larry's face on his first night here."

"Well, being a night guard here is a massive responsibility. Most people wouldn't be cut out for it." That statement was nothing but the truth. Most people would probably wind up going crazy if they knew what went on after dark here, but then again, people can be surprising.

"How are things at home for you?"

"Well, my brother got out of jail after a week and had his court date for not only driving under the influence of alcohol, but for underage drinking." Akhmenrah blinked.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, in this country, to consume alcohol you have to be twenty one, and my brother is only nineteen. He then drove a motor vehicle whilst he was drunk."

"He could have hurt someone."

"Akhmenrah, it's a bloody miracle he didn't kill anybody." I took a board game out of my bag and set it up. Jedediah and Octavius used themselves as game pieces because of their small stature.

"Has he always been like that?"

"Honestly, no. He was always a bit of a slacker, but if he was just laying around the house doing nothing, he wouldn't be getting into trouble with the police." We played several games for the night until it was time for everyone to go back to their exhibits. I quickly took Jedediah and Octavius back to the hall of miniatures. When I got back to where Akhmenrah was, I noticed he looked a little distant.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." He said, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

"Okay then. Get to bed, you." Once everyone had gone to sleep for the day, I headed back downstairs so I could go home. By the time I got home, my father wasn't there.

"Morning, mom." She smiled at me.

"How was work?"

"Quiet as always." I made some coffee and sat down.

"Maybe I could come to work with you one night."

"That's not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"It just isn't. I wouldn't want to get into trouble." Every time I got that question I gave the same answer. I had told Akhmenrah and my other museum friends about my family, but it was a bit awkward not being able to tell my family about my museum friends and all the fun we had. Even Atilla was becoming more friendly towards me, greeting me with a pat on the back whenever he saw me.

"I don't think Dr McPhee would mind."

"Mom, it's not that simple." Thankfully, my mom left it at that. I wasn't feeling tired, so I watched some television before helping with the dishes that were left over from breakfast. My brother was upstairs sleeping and my dad was at work. My mind was somewhere else, however.

"Did you hear about that discovery?"

"What discovery?" My mom continued as she poured more soap into the water filled sink.

"Some archeologists in Egypt found a relative of Akhmenrah." She said, washing some forks.

"Huh, cool."

"Yeah, the name was Kah-something. I couldn't remember."

"It must have been Kahmnrah. Akhmenrah's older brother." I had heard the stories from Akhmenrah about how often the two fought for the throne.

"That's the name I was thinking of! Anyway, they're going to send him to the Smithsonian to help boost interest in their Egyptian wing." I breathed a sigh of relief that he would NOT be coming here. Based on what Akhmenrah had told me, Kahmunrah was the last person we wanted at the museum.

"Then hopefully it'll do well for them." We put the dishes away and I went upstairs to try and get a few hours' sleep before I had to head into work. I only had two more nights left before I was to leave. When I got to the museum, Dr McPhee was in a surprisingly good mood.

"Alexandria, I just got off the phone with the staff at Cambridge. Akhmenrah and his tablet will be going with you for a year long exhibition."

"Oh, okay. Cool." I thanked him and said goodnight. I wished I'd had more notice. When everyone woke up, I had Teddy go around and get everyone to gather in the lobby. They all seemed confused as to what was going on.

"Everyone, as you all know, tomorrow will be my last night here. I was speaking with McPhee earlier this evening and I have just been made aware that Akhmenrah and his tablet will be coming with me to Cambridge for a year long exhibition, which means you won't be coming to life for a while." Akhmenrah looked very surprised at this.

"Aren't there other things at Cambridge?"

"Nothing that would cause any trouble." Once everyone left to go do their own thing, Akhmenrah and I went back to his exhibit to talk.

"Your brother has been found. Kahmunrah is being shipped off to the Smithsonian." I could see the dark look on Akhmenrah's face.

"Thank the gods he's not coming here."

"From what you've told me, I agree with you completely."

"Kahmunrah tried to steal my tablet once before, and I don't want him doing it again." The next two nights passed quickly. When I came to the museum on the morning I was to leave, I had to come and get Akhmenrah before hand.

"Alexandria, you're to keep the tablet with you. There's a piece of paper in there that explains what it is and why you have it." McPhee had then handed me the box that contained the artifact. Thankfully, it would be a short ride to England and we would be there before nightfall. The last thing we needed was for the tablet to activate midflight and have Akhmenrah freak out because of his claustrophobia.

"Alright. I'll take good care of it." I was then driven to the airport and boarded my flight. I was nervous to start university, but I knew that since Akhmenrah would be there, I would do well. When I arrived, everything was loaded into a truck and carefully driven to Cambridge University. Getting out, I held the tablet close to me, afraid I would lose it.

"Set Akhmenrah down over there." The director said to the two movers. I looked around. It was a spacious room, indeed.

"You must be Alexandria from the Museum of Natural History, yes?"

"Yeah, that's me." I carefully placed Akhmenrah's tablet down in a small display case. I shone brightly under the lights.

"I'm sure you'll love it here." In my mind, I was trying to figure out how I could make sure nothing happened at night time.

"I hope so too. Is there a night guard here by any chance?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"No reason." I lied.

"Well, if you want, you can stay here. Whilst Akhmenrah is here, I would consider the responsibility of caring for him yours."

"So I can stay here during the night then?"

"If you want to, you can." I nodded. I had to hurry him out of here, there was only fifteen minutes until sun down.

"Alright thanks. Wow, would you look at the time! You should really get going. You look tired."

"I am. See you in the morning." Once my professor was out of sight, I unlocked Akhmenrah before the tablet activated so he could get himself out.

This was going to be one long year indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

My first two weeks at university were spent finding my way around the school. I kept to myself so I could focus on my studies. Akhmenrah had helped me a great deal already and I was doing exceptionally well in my class. One evening during December, I brought in a container of snow. Akhmenrah had never seen snow before and had shown keen interest in it.

"Akhmenrah, this is snow." He held some of it in his hand.

"It's cold."

"Snow is just frozen water that forms different shapes called snowflakes. People play in it and make all sorts of sculptures out of it." Soon enough, the snow was nothing but water. Akhmenrah was amazed at it.

"I wish we had more." I thought about it for a moment.

"Well, there is a spot outside we could stand in, as long as we don't stay out too long." So off outside we went. I had my coat and boots on, and it brought a smile to my face seeing how amazed Akhmenrah was. He mostly just walked around, and occasionally picked some snow up off the ground.

"Watch this." I gathered up snow and made it into a snowball. Once Akhmenrah got the hang of it, we had a small snowball fight and laughed quite loudly. My watch beeped.

"We should get inside. The sun will be coming up in an hour." We headed back inside. Akhmenrah took my coat for me and hung it up.

"Thank you. How about some hot chocolate?" Akhmenrah nodded eagerly. This was another new treat for him. I made two cups and put in some marshmellows.

"This is tasty."

"I'm glad you like it." We sat and talked for a few minutes. Akhmenrah quickly finished his drink and offered to take my cup. He was very charming. Being able to have so much time with him without being disturbed made me grow even fonder of him.

"That's a nice bracelet."

"My mom sent it to me for my birthday today. It arrived early, but it's the thought that counts." A small part of me found it hard to believe I was now eighteen and a legal adult.

"Your birthday is today?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm eighteen and now a legal adult, which means I can vote in elections and a lot of other stuff." There was now only five minutes before the sun was to come up. My class didn't start until eleven in the morning, which meant I was able to get a few hours sleep.

"Alexandria?" I turned.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Well, since it's your birthday, I thought you might like this." I was handed a small sapphire pendant.

"It's beautiful, how did you get it?"

"I had it lying around. I never liked it much, but I thought you would. Happy birthday." I gave him a hug.

"Thank you. Now get to bed." I left to get some sleep for a few hours before coming back for class later that morning. Two students couldn't show up because their car was having troubles, but requested the work to be emailed to them. It was a short day due to the weather.

"All right, that will be all for today. Get home before the weather gets worse." I had several hours before the sun would go down, so I spent it studying and doing work. Who knew having an Egyptian Pharaoh as your best friend would be so helpful? It seemed that time had passed so quickly.

"How was your class?"

"Pretty short. Our teacher let us go early because he wanted the other students to get home before the weather got bad. Two of my classmates couldn't get here because their car was having trouble." The weather had not gotten any worse. It was just a light snowfall.

"Do you like your gift?"

"Yeah, I love it. It was really sweet of you to get it for me." There were a few moments of silence between us.

"I'm glad you like it." I looked down at my notes for a brief moment.

"I appreciate it. You're a good friend." There was another quiet moment.

"Alexandria, could I have my hand back please?" I went red in the face.

"Uh – sorry." Had I really grown so fond of Akhmenrah that I now had a crush on him? Life was weird sometimes. Then again, so was I.

"Why can't you look at me?" I bit my lip and said nothing. Now what was wrong with me?

"Alexandria, did I upset you somehow?"

"No, everything's fine." I don't know what drove me to do it, but before Akhmenrah could say another word, I grabbed his shoulders and kissed him senseless. To my surprise, instead of pushing me away and telling me off, he kissed me back.

"I – I didn't mean to-" He pressed a finger to my lips.

"It's okay." I got another kiss, but this time it had more passion and depth to it. To my surprise, there was a confession of love for both of us.

"I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you."

"I love you too. But -"

"I don't know if there's any way we can be together."

"I was afraid you would say that." The rest of the night went by in complete silence. Before I knew it, I had actually graduated and was on my way home back to New York. Looking at Akhmenrah's tablet as it lay in my lap, I wondered if there was anything that could be done. Getting back to the museum, I was surprised to find my old night guard uniform was too big.

"I can have one brought for you, but it'll be three days before it gets here." McPhee told me.

"Alright, I'll just wear regular clothes in the mean time."

"That works. Oh, before I forget, some of our exhibits are leaving."

"Which ones?" My heart was racing with every passing second. I didn't want Akhmenrah to leave again, we had just come home!

"Just a few of the small exhibits. Our signature ones will be staying here."

"Is the tablet leaving as well?"

"Oh no, that's staying right here." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where are they going?"

"Deep storage. The federal archives at the Smithsonian." Well, at least they would be going without the tablet. I honestly was dreading going into work that night. I hadn't seen Larry for almost two years now, because he was so busy with his company, which had done extremely well. However, he had not come to see the exhibits at the museum for almost a year, which made many of them feel like he didn't care anymore.

"Hey mom, what's for dinner?" I pulled on a navy blue shirt and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Some chicken tonight. You look a little upset, are you okay?"

"I'm just a bit tired is all." Normally I loved having chicken, but tonight I didn't have much of an appetite. I would be losing so many of my friends because they were being replaced by new exhibits.

"Why don't you take something to the museum with you in case you get hungry later on?" I nodded.

"Alright, I'll do that." When I got to the museum, each step I walked up made me feel more guilty for what I was about to tell everyone. When I had revealed the news, the entire room was silent. The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

"Will we still come to life at night?" One Roman soldier asked curiously as I helped him up to sit on the desk.

"Akhmenrah's tablet will be remaining here with him. The Smithsonian is the biggest museum in the world, and it's actually nineteen different buildings." A few exhibits were somewhat impressed with how large it was.

"Then I guess it's a good thing the tablet is staying here then." Not making a single mention of Kahmunrah, I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, because then the biggest museum in the world would be coming to life." We still had tomorrow night before the exhibits would be leaving, so we planned a party. It was bittersweet. Dexter was leaving, along with Jedediah and his cowboys, Octavius and his Roman army, and Sacagawea and Teddy were being torn apart, never to be reunited again.

"Listen everyone, this is a difficult time for all of us, but rest assured that none of us will ever forget you, and we certainly won't forget all the good times we shared together." When I went home that morning, I looked around the kitchen for a few items I could take with me that night. I also baked what felt like a million cupcakes, knowing how much some of the exhibits could consume.

"What's with all the cupcakes?"

"Uh – just a work thing, that's all." I was only telling a half truth. I had given my cell phone number to certain exhibits in case they needed to call me for help, instead of giving them my home phone number, which could potentially reveal the museum's secret to my family. I loved my family dearly, but it was great having this secret all to myself.

"Oh, okay then. Do you need any help?"

"I'm fine, don't worry." I made and decorated a bunch of cupcakes, one large cake and brought along so many drinks I could have fed an entire army. My dad had driven me to work that night early so I could get everything inside without running the risk of him seeing anything.

"Have a good night."

"I will dad, see you in the morning." I took a few minutes to set everything up whilst I waited for everyone to wake up for the night. Although everyone was having a good time, nobody wanted this night to end because we all knew what the end of the night meant. We also took one final stroll through the halls of the museum together. We had become one big family. As everyone got back into their crates, I gave everyone a hug goodbye.

"See you tomorrow night, Teddy." I stared around the room, which was now still except for me. The movers came in a few minutes later to start loading up boxes, and I stood out on the front steps of the museum to see my friends off, feeling a little heartbroken that I would never see them again. I spent some time wandering through Central Park before going home.

"So those exhibits left?"

"Yeah dad, they left this morning. I just wish there was something I could have done." I helped my mom repaint a few rooms in the house before settling down to watch television with my dad and brother. We had ordered Chinese food that night since our stove and oven had broken.

"We got the last of the mortgage paid off this morning." My dad said as we were eating.

"That's good. It's one less thing to worry about." After getting a second helping of the numerous egg rolls, my cell phone rang. I opened it.

"Hello?" I recognized the voices in the background and quickly excused myself outside.

"Jed, how did you dial the phone?"

"Long story! That brazen little monkey stole the tablet, and now we're in a world of hurt!"

"What's going on?" Everyone was panicked. I could sense it.

"Kahmunrah!" My heart dropped.

"Kahmunrah."

"Yeah, Akhmenrah's big brother. He's here! Not a friendly, I repeat, not a friendly!" Before I could say anything else, it appeared that the tablet had stopped working for the day. My mom came out.

"What was that all about? Is something wrong?" I rushed back inside, grabbing my wallet, my jacket and my car keys. Quickly putting my shoes on, I ran to the door.

"Alexandria, what's going on?"

"Mom, dad, just stay here and whatever you do, do NOT call me for at least the next twenty four hours. I'm going to find out." I drove as fast as I could to the airport and got a flight to Washington DC.

I just hoped that whoever and whatever awaited me, it wouldn't be too bad.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

As I rushed towards the Smithsonian Castle, thoughts were racing around in my head. Akhmenrah's tablet was down in the Federal Archives, which meant the biggest museum in the world was coming to life. However, the first big obstacle was to find a way to get into the archives. I had been to the Smithsonian twice before, so I knew the archives were underneath the nineteen museums that made up the Smithsonian. Looking at my watch, I had two hours until sundown and one hour until the museum was to close. Thankfully, the museum in New York was closed and McPhee was on vacation, so hopefully I wouldn't have to explain why the tablet had been missing for several days. Entering the castle, I noticed several exhibits which looked interesting, but I had no time to stop and look.

"Kahmunrah." I made my way towards what appeared to be a large stone gate. I read the sign that stood next to it.

_The Gate of Kahmunrah: Mythical door to the Underworld_

Upon closer inspection, on the door of the gate, there was a hole where Akhmenrah's tablet would fit perfectly. So I now knew why Kahmunrah wanted the tablet, but I still didn't know what his plan was.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I turned.

"Oh, sorry. I just dropped something and I was just picking it up." The guard came over to me.

"Well, then next time be careful not to drop things." I had bought a drink on the plane and I still had some left. I "accidentally" spilled it all over the guard.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to! I'm such a klutz. Here, let me hold your jacket while you go get a new one." While the guard was gone for a brief moment, I snatched his ID card and hid it in my pocket. When he came back I gave him his jacket.

"Well, here you are. I better get going." I quickly ran off towards the locked doors I had passed a good ten minutes ago where there were no guards in front of it. Quickly checking around, I used the ID card to get in. I could hear more people coming, and I shut myself in the locker room. Noticing some uniforms, I quickly slipped one on and made my way out. I had to work quickly, only having twenty eight minutes until sundown. I hoped badly that the tablet would not activate before I could find it. I made my way down several staircases and went through several doors before I got to where I needed to be. I turned on my flashlight so I could see better.

"Alright, where are you guys?" Along the way, I had found a box with a giant octopus inside it. I kept a mental note in case I needed it for later. Reaching another door, I slid the ID card through the swiper and went inside. It did not take me long to find what I was looking for. Weaving my way through the soldiers, I arrived at the doors of the crate. All my friends were inside, poised and ready for battle. Taking one of the spears from the soldier closest to me, I managed to grab hold of the tablet.

"Thank goodness I found you before you activated." Just as I had finished saying that, Akhmenrah's tablet lit up like a Christmas tree.

"No, no, no, no! Bad tablet!" Scolding it wouldn't do any good. I soon had spears from the Egyptian soldiers in my face.

"English, you're English perhaps?" I nodded.

"I take it you're Kahmunrah?"

"So you've heard of me?" Akhmenrah was right, his brother did have a noticable lisp.

"I have heard of you. I also happen to know your brother Akhmenrah. He's a good friend of mine."

"Oh she knows baby brother, who was the favourite son."

"Yes, he is very nice."

"Oh isn't he just? You know mother and father always gave him the best of everything and I do mean everything. They even gave him the throne. The throne which was rightfully mine!"

"Gee, I wonder why?" I muttered under my breath.

"Well, now begins the era of Kahmunrah. Now hand over that tablet." My friends from New York started speaking up.

"Don't give it to him, Alexandria!"

"Oh silence, silence in there!" Kahmunrah banged his fist on the door.

"Don't make me come in there!"

"No, I won't be muzzled!" Typical Jedediah. He had always been a hot head.

"Look, that tablet is more powerful than you could ever imagine. Bringing things back to life is just a parlour trick." Now I knew I was in a dangerous situation.

"What's your point?" I was only just over five feet tall. Kahmunrah on the other hand, stood at just over six feet tall and I could tell he was quite muscular and would be more than capable of physically restraining me if he wanted to.

"With it, I shall unlock the gate to the underworld and bring forth my army from the land of the dead. So if it's not too much trouble, hand it over." Remembering the octopus in the crate, I gave it to him.

"Alright, fine. Here you go." Kahmunrah had turned to leave.

"Wise desicion."

"I just thought you would have wanted the cube."

"The cube?"

"The cube. Of rubik. You know, it's the cube that turns all who oppose you to dust. My bad, Akhmenrah didn't want to mess with it and wanted to play it safe. You just struck me as the next level kind of person." I batted my eyelashes, using what little flirtatious ability I had to keep his interest. Akhmenrah had mentioned that Kahmunrah had a soft spot for pretty girls, so if I had to flirt with him to keep my friends alive, I was fully prepared to do it.

"Then take me to this cube of rubik then." I had Kahmunrah and his soldiers follow me to where the octopus was.

"Open it." He ordered me. I undid the latch on one side, and stood out of the way when I undid the other latch. The octopus was NOT a happy camper. It lashed about, sending soldiers flying into crates, releasing animals within. There were animals all over the place. One of the tentacles had knocked Kahmunrah right off his feet, giving me a prime opportunity to grab the tablet and run. I made my way to a door, and I would have been able to get out, had someone not stepped in front of me. I hid behind a fountain to stay out of sigh of some other exhibits who were clearly looking for me. Based on their outfits, I suspected they were French.

"That was close." I muttered quietly. I headed to the closest door to make my way out of the art museum where I had wound up. Air and space was the closest, so I made my way over there, looking for someone who could maybe help me. Getting inside, there were exhibits wandering all over the place. There was even a little monkey who looked like Dexter.

"Oh, your name is Able? You're a polite little monkey." I shook Able's tiny little hand and she hopped up to sit on my shoulder. I continued walking through the museum, trying to find someone who could help me.

"Excuse me, but you dropped this back there." I turned around and came face to face with Amelia Earhart.

"Thanks." I put my jacket back on.

"What are you doing?" I took a few moments to explain to Amelia what was going on, and to my surprise, she volunteered to come with me.

"Are you sure? Kahmunrah is really dangerous."

"Don't worry. You won't get lost following me!" So we made our way to get out of here. Able was perched on my shoulder quite happily. Before we could get out, we were cornered by Al Capone of all people.

"Dress boy wants to see you, he says you gave him trouble." Able had left and gotten away, leaving these mobsters to take Amelia and myself back to the Smithsonian castle where everyone else was. When we got there, I could see that Kahmunrah had also recruited Napoleon and Ivan the Terrible in his scheme to take over the world, likely promising them entire countries in exchange for their help. I wasn't going to let him win.

"It would appear that mother and father have changed the combination on me."

"You must be really frustrated because you've waited three thousand years to do this and now it's clearly not going so well."

"I shall wait a thousand more if I must."

"Good, because when the sun comes up, you'll be standing there frozen and frustrated and I'll take the tablet and my friends and get out of here. I have all night."

"You may have all night, but he doesn't." Kahmunrah pointed to a bird cage that was holding Jedediah captive.

"Hey, leave him alone." Kahmunrah had picked Jed up by the back of his shirt.

"Put me down, I don't like to be manhandled!"

"Oh look, he's having a tiny little tantrum! Don't squirm, I shan't hurt you. Oh, I lied." Kahmunrah had dropped Jed into an hour glass.

"Let him go."

"Now go find me the tablet's combination. I would say your shaggy headed little cowman here has a little over an hour."

"I hate you." I told him before being shooed off. Amelia and I had left the castle.

"Amelia, go get some back up. I'll find a way to translate this tablet." So we split up. First heading to the air and space, I remembered the little Einstein bobble heads. Maybe they could help me! After spending fifteen of my precious sixty minutes trying to find them, I finally did.

"I need help figuring out the combination. It says I can figure out the combination if I figure out the secret at the heart of Pharaoh's tomb. Any ideas?"

"The answer is in the question, it's a figure. A number." I thought for a moment. Now I get it!

"The answer is the value of pi! Thanks so much!" I ran back to the entrance to make my way back over to the castle. Hopefully something would stop working or I could come up with a plan to stop Kahmunrah. Getting back inside, I went to the main lobby.

"Now your little friend here had better hope that you figured out the combination."

"First off, give me Jed and I will give you the tablet and the combination."

"Oh no, hand over that tablet and give me the combination."

"I told you to give me Jed before I give you anything."

"We already got the answer! It's pi. 3.14159265." Before I could protest, Kahmunrah grabbed the tablet from my hands, tossing the hour glass that Jed was trapped in towards my hands.

I was getting more and more worried that I would not be able to stop him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I stood and watched helplessly as Kahmunrah summoned an entire army from the underworld. I had managed to get Jedediah out of the hourglass, and he was now sitting in a pocket on my jacket.

"Those are some weird half pigeons."

"Jed, those are hawk heads. In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh was represented by the hawk-headed god Horus." That silenced him. The army surrounded me, spears pointed all over me. I could see that Kahmunrah was fully prepared to have me murdered. To my surprise, Octavius had returned. Riding a squirrel.

"This is your big rescue?" I merely shrugged at the question before Octavius spoke up.

"Oh no. This is!" Just then, a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln smashed his way through the large stained glass window.

"What is that thing?"

"The name is Abraham Lincoln and you sir are in a heap of trouble!" The soldiers from the underworld threw their spears at the giant statue, though I could tell that Lincoln was less than impressed about it. He flicked a few and sent them flying across the room. The rest, clearly having a freak out moment, hurried back and shut the gate to the underworld. There was a moment of silence.

"Well, this is awkward." I actually agreed with Kahmunrah. This was awkward.

"It appears my work here is done. Just remember young one, a house divided against itself cannot stand. Farewell." With that, Lincoln left, smashing up what was left of the once stunning stained glass window. Ivan the Terrible was the first to speak up.

"What now?"

"You know I'm not quite sure. I suppose we should probably start by watching her die." At that moment, I honestly thought my life was going to end. I heard a trumpet blaring.

"Oh what now?" I turned around. Amelia had brought back up, amongst her my friends from New York and several Smithsonian exhibits, one of them being George Armstrong Custer, who was on a horse.

"We are not going to attack right NOW!" With that, everyone on both sides had charged into battle, I tried to get out of the way, but I was knocked over by one of the Smithsonian exhibits, dropping the hourglass that Jed was trapped in. I started to go after him, but I was stopped by Octavius.

"Do not worry, I shall help Jedediah!" I nodded and ran off to try and help my friends. I was given a weapon of sorts by one of the Huns so I could defend myself, and I made my way through the crowd, trying to keep the bad guys from getting anywhere near Akhmenrah's tablet. Amelia had met up with me.

"So I take it you have a plan then?" I nodded, catching my breath.

"I'm going to divide the house. Just try and keep Kahmunrah distracted for about five minutes." Amelia nodded and darted off. She really did have a lot of energy for a wax girl. Grabbing the tablet, I darted off, and, all according to my plan, I was cornered by Al Capone, Napoleon and Ivan.

"Alright, just tell me who the boss is and I'll give it up. Or should I give it to Kahmunrah? He's sort of like your master."

"Nyet! He is not our master!"

"Alright, then just tell me who's in charge here."

"Hey doll face, that'd be me."

"This man is a peasant! I am the only one here of noble birth." I gestured to Napoleon.

"Are you sure, 'cause he's got more medals and a bigger hat." Al Capone stepped in.

"Listen, you put your little child hands on that tablet again it'll be the last thing them tiny little mitts of yours ever touch!" I had managed to have them fight amongst themselves. Heading back out to where everyone else was, I was going to get to Amelia, but I was stopped suddenly. Kahmunrah had the blade of a sharp dagger pressed right against my neck.

"Very clever Alexandria. Getting them to fight amongst themselves." I backed up slowly.

"Yeah, I can't really take full credit, it was Abraham Lincoln's idea. A house divided, well, it doesn't do well."

"Yes well, you should have saved yourself when you had the chance." Thanks to my quick thinking, I managed to use my flashlight to stop the blade from coming down and injuring me.

"Now I shall have the tremendous pleasure of killing you myself!" I had managed to throw the tablet to Amelia, who was hurrying to open the gate. Even though I was in good physical condition, Kahmunrah was considerably stronger, and I was starting to struggle to hold my own against him. I had gotten a few cuts in the process, but it was nothing too serious. I could hear the gate opening, and, using an opportunity to distract Kahmunrah, I managed to subdue him.

"What are you?" I smirked.

"I'm the night guard." With a good shove, I sent him straight into the underworld. Amelia shoved the gate door and closed it. I could hear joyous cheers from all around.

"Victory is ours!" I was dragged into one big victory hug from all the exhibits. When our little celebration was over, General Custer was standing at the top of the pile of treasure, an American flag in one hand. Everyone turned to face him.

"The Battle of the Smithsonian! Perhaps the greatest battle the world will never know."

"We'll know." I looked at my watch. "It's two hours until sunrise, I have to get you guys back to the museum." Amelia had agreed to fly us all back, and we managed to make it with twenty minutes to spare. I thanked Amelia and we said our goodbyes. Once everyone was herded inside and back to their respective exhibits, I went to return Akhmenrah's tablet to it's rightful owner. I did take a few minutes to take with him.

"So what happened at the Smithsonian?"

"I'll tell you all tomorrow night. I seriously need some sleep." Before I could say anything else or turn to leave, Akhmenrah gave me a gentle peck.

"Then go home and get some sleep." I gave him a hug and left to go home. I took a few minutes to sit by the lake in Central Park, thinking about the night's events. I dreaded to think what the staff in Washington would think when they saw the security tapes and how they would handle it. I wasn't concerned with that though. It was a miracle that everyone had made it back alive. When I got home, my parents were pestering me about why I had to rush off so quickly yesterday.

"Listen, it's not something that's easy to explain, and it's not something I can explain to you." I went upstairs to bed. I was so tired, that I hadn't even bothered to take off the Smithsonian guard uniform I still had on. To my surprise, there was absolutely no news stories about what had happened, and I guessed it was because they wanted to hide what happened. The world wouldn't know about the Battle of the Smithsonian. When my mom came to wake me up for work, I got changed into some dark clothes and left for the museum. When I got into work, McPhee was acting as if nothing had happened. I strongly suspected that he knew about the tablet's powers and decided it was better for him to keep his mouth shut.

"Alexandria, you look worn out. Is everything alright?" When everyone had gathered in the lobby, I told the entire story of what had happened at the Smithsonian. I told them all about Amelia, Kahmunrah, and the plot to take over the world. It had not taken as long as I had thought, and when I looked at the clock, it was only midnight.

"Alright everyone, just give those of us who were in Washington some time to settle back in before things get back to normal. If anyone needs me, I will be with Akhmenrah." I went off to go upstairs. When I got there, Akhmenrah, to my surprise, embraced me.

"Did my brother hurt you?"

"Just a few scratches, but nothing serious. I underestimated how strong he was. I honestly thought he was going to kill me."

"You don't have to worry. I won't let anyone hurt you." We stood quietly together for a moment, and I was going over the events of what happened last night in my mind. It was times like this that made me grateful that I had such good friends.

"You must be feeling overwhelmed right now, with what has happened."

"I am a bit overwhelmed, but I never knew your tablet could be used for such horrible reasons. What else can it do?"

"Well, besides bringing the exhibits to life and opening the gate to the underworld, it can also bring the dead back to life. However, that last task can be very tricky." I nodded.

"It does sound difficult." Leaning against the wall, I sat down.

"My brother didn't put his hands on you did he?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. If he so much as even though about it, he wouldn't be having his hands much longer." It seemed the museum was mostly being rather quiet out of respect for those of us who were in Washington.

"Listen, it's almost sun rise. Get to bed and I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Alright. Could you bring some of that fizzy drink again?"

"Oh, the soda? Yeah I can do that." I went downstairs after one last round of the museum before heading to the lobby. My whole body was tired. When I got home, it was just my mother that was there.

"How was work?"

"It was really quiet." We had breakfast. I had thought about taking my mother to work with me, and introducing her to my friends.

"Hey mum, how would you and dad like to come to work with me tonight? I have some cool stuff I want to show you." She beamed.

"Alright. That will be fun." When my dad came home, he was excited about coming to work with me as well. We all slept for a few hours before having dinner and heading to the museum.

"Before we go inside, there's a few rules that must be obeyed. First off, you are not to tell _anyone_ about what you see inside. Second, nothing is to be allowed in or out of the museum. Third, don't be going into the Egyptian exhibit without me. Understood?"

"We understand, but why are these rules in place?" There was five minutes until sundown.

"You'll understand it better in a few minutes. Have a seat." I got Rexy's rope out.

"Three, two, one, magic time!" Rexy hopped off his stand, eager to play with me. My parents were floored at what they were seeing.

"Alexandria, how is this possible?" I smiled.

"Follow me!" I took my parents upstairs to Akhmenrah's exhibit. The two jackal guards allowed us in after showing their usual sign of respect towards me.

"Hey Akhmenrah, these are my parents. Mum, dad, this is the Pharaoh Akhmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king." Everyone shook hands.

"So, again, how is this possible?" I showed them the tablet.

"Akhmenrah's tablet is what brings the exhibits to life. As you know, recently several exhibits were moved to the Smithsonian and Dexter, our resident trouble making capuchin, stole the tablet. Akhmenrah's older brother Kahmunrah was there and wanted the tablet for world domination." I explained the events of what had happened.

"So this is why you were so reluctant to talk about work here?" I nodded.

"Yeah, this has to be kept a secret though." I took them on a tour of the museum and my parents met my friends.

I was grateful for such supporting, loving friends and family.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Friday nights there's a weekly soccer game." I said as my parents watched everyone playing.

"You really have this place under control."

"Yeah, I was just as shocked as you were when I first discovered the tablet's powers, but I wouldn't trade this job for the world." My parents were happy to meet everyone. My mother had bonded with Sacagawea and my father had become good friends with Teddy.

"Why were those dog statues looking at us the way they were?"

"Dad, they're jackals. Also, they are mistrusting of those they don't recognize in case someone has bad intentions towards Akhmenrah. He's very nice, but his older brother is anything but nice."

"How bad could he be?"

"Kahmunrah almost killed me. He was jealous and angry because he was passed over for the throne in favour of Akhmenrah and decided that I was guilty because Akhmenrah and I are friends."

"He sounds angry."

"Angry, short tempered and rather violent." I joined in the soccer game whilst my parents watched. They were happy because I was happy. Dexter had also taken a strong liking to my mother, occasionally 'grooming' her as a sign of affection. I promised to take my parents to work with me at least once a week. When we were driving home from the museum that night, we had decided to go out for breakfast.

"Akhmenrah is very fond of you." My dad said as we were driving.

"Yeah, he's a really great friend. Always willing to offer support if I need it." I had not told either of my parents the extent of my friendship with Akhmenrah. I knew things wouldn't work out with him, and even though we were still close friends, it hurt us both.

"Well that's nice of him." After a little while, the winter weather came around again. It was now early December and Christmas shopping time was in full swing. People were buying passes to the museum as gifts, which was bringing more people in.

"You know, it's times like this that make me grateful I have this job. I loved coming here as a kid and I always wished the exhibits would come to life. I never expected it to be true."

"Isn't there a saying about that?" I nodded.

"Yeah, be careful what you wish for." Akhmenrah and I would often spend the long nights together away from the lobby in a more private setting.

"I still wish there was a way we could make things work."

"Didn't you say that your tablet can bring the dead back to life?" Akhmenrah nodded.

"Yes, but if the spell goes wrong, the consequences are horrible."

"But would that ever stop you from trying?" I could see he was thinking about it.

"Well, no. It wouldn't stop me, but I don't want you to get hurt." I smiled, giving him a hug.

"You're wonderful." We looked up at the tablet. I prayed silently that if Akhmenrah did make an attempt to do so, that it would work without complication.

"What else would be involved in something like this?" I asked curiously.

"Well, it's a simple spell, but it has to be performed on the night of an eclipse."

"Does it matter whether it's a solar or lunar eclipse?"

"No it doesn't, but a lunar eclipse tends to be more powerful for a spell like this, there would be a better chance of success." That night, Akhmenrah and I decided to perform the spell, but we kept it a secret from the entire museum as well as my parents.

"Here's a list of things we'll need." I looked at the list. It would be simple enough.

"I know where I can get all of this stuff, so that part will be very easy." When I got home, my mother was surprised I wanted to be out and about, but she didn't question it when I told her that I was doing so to better understand the theory.

"What is left on the list?"

"A one pound combination of salt and baking soda along with some olive oil." Once I was able to obtain the last of the ingredients required, I stared at them, praying to the gods of Egypt that this would work. Akhmenrah told me he had never asked them for much, but that they had always provided well for him.

'Please, let this work.' I said to myself. There would be a lunar eclipse that night, which meant that in a matter of hours, Akhmenrah could be alive just like I was. When I went to the museum that night, I took everything with me. Before I headed upstairs, I left a note on Teddy's glove informing him to keep all the exhibits away from Akhmenrah's exhibit so we could have total privacy.

"Do you have everything?" I nodded.

"Yeah, everything's here. My mom thought it was weird, but she didn't pester me about it." With the help of the jackal guards, I had them open up the window that was on the ceiling in the room so the moonlight would be stronger. I stood off to the side, hoping and praying with everything I had that this would work.

"Akhmenrah, before you do this, thank you for everything." We hugged tightly before the spell was set in motion in case something went wrong. The light was very bright, but I watched every second of it. It was both worrying and interesting at the same time. When the moonlight made contact with the tablet, it glowed even brighter than I had ever seen it do. It was only a few seconds before everything was all over. I went over to where Akhmenrah was. He was kneeling on the floor, clearly exhausted.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?" I helped him to his feet and hugged him, grateful he was still with me.

"I feel fine." I hugged him again. That was when I realized something.

"I can hear it."

"Hear what?"

"I can hear your heart beating. It worked!" We were just thrilled beyond belief. Now we could spend our lives together. At that moment, two figures appeared a few feet away from us. One of them was holding a box. I recognized them right away.

"Hathor and Isis." The two goddesses walked towards us. Hathor handed to me a box.

"This will contain all the required information and knowledge you need." She told us.

"Thank you." I said quietly, tears in my eyes. Never in my life had I felt such gratitude.

"We are merely doing our duties." Isis was quiet type, whilst Hathor was a bit more outspoken.

"We heard your prayers and request for help. I hope we were able to provide sufficient assistance." I nodded.

"Thank you so much." The two goddesses smiled in a humble manner. Before they left, Isis handed me a small pendant.

"This is a symbol of fertility. I wish you and Akhmenrah all the best in your future. I will do my best to bless you with healthy children." I then remembered that Isis was a goddess of several things, one of them being motherhood.

"Again, thank you." With that done, we parted ways. We took some time to go through the box we had been given.

"Everything's here." I said, putting the lid back on. "We're all set." We went downstairs to not only put the box away safely, but to inform everyone of what had happened. Everyone was floored at what we had done.

"This calls for a celebration." Teddy said. "I'm sure something can be planned."

"I think Akhmenrah will need some time to settle into modern life before we plan any huge parties. Now we have to go and tell my parents what we did." The entire museum was happy for us.

"I'm glad Akhmenrah will be able to have a happy ending." Sacagawea had become like a sister to me.

"We are all grateful it worked." Standing together in the lobby, I went to change into my regular clothes.

"Put this on for now until we can get you some clothes of your own." Akhmenrah placed the ceremonial robes he wore every night away safely. A side effect of the spell placed a duplicate mummy in his sarcophagus, but this one would not come to life.

"This way nobody will suspect anything." Going outside, Akhmenrah looked around in amazement at the outside world.

"My parents will certainly be shocked at what took place, but they like you. They'll understand." We went inside, and Akhmenrah sat down. I put my bag down.

"I'm home!" My mother came downstairs.

"What's going on?" We waited until my dad came downstairs and gave a brief explanation.

"So now Akhmenrah is alive, just like we are." I said. My mother just squeezed me.

"Can't...breathe." My mom let me go.

"Sorry. This is just such a big step!" Akhmenrah was given the spare room. My dad set some rules in place, one of them being that we could not sleep in the same room.

"I know it seems old fashioned, but I don't want anything bad happening." Akhmenrah had settled into his new life quite nicely. The box we had been given contained everything we would need.

"I convinced McPhee to let you come on as a second night guard now that the expansion to the Roman exhibit is in, so you have your first job." I said as I put my jacket on.

"Well at least most things won't change. Where are you and your mother going?"

"Just some window shopping and lunch. My dad will be home all day because of his cold." My mom and I left, leaving Akhmenrah with my father.

"You're very fond of my daughter."

"Alexandria is a blessing. I love her more than anything."

"She has always spoken very highly of you, and I am happy because not only is she happy, but you take good care of her."

"That's good. However, I wanted to ask you if you would allow me to have her hand in marriage. I wouldn't feel right asking her to marry me if I did not have your blessing."

"You have my blessing then. It's nice that old fashioned chivalry has not completely died out." Akhmenrah smiled.

"Thank you." Getting back a few hours later, I held the door open so my mom could bring the bags in.

"We're back!" We put the stuff we bought away and sat down in the living room for lunch. My parents had taken to Akhmenrah very well.

"Alexandria, I have a gift for you." I blinked.

"Okay, what is it?"

"First you need to close your eyes." I closed my eyes, excitement building.

"Okay, open your eyes." When I realized what was happening, I thought I was going to cry.

"You don't even need to ask, of course I'll marry you." I was thrilled beyond belief.

"Thank you." We were excited to go and tell everyone at the museum that night. I had been given my mother's engagement ring. When we got to the museum, we sat in the lobby waiting for everyone to wake up. However, it did not take long for everyone to come piling in with congratulations and gifts.

Things we really looking up for me after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Return To The Place Where We First Met

With my wedding just one week away, plans were being finalized left and right. I had my dress, and my mom and dad found a restaurant that would do the food for half price if they picked it up. Being a city official, my dad could also officiate weddings, which meant Akhmenrah and I could get married where we first met, with all of our friends there. Rebecca had offered to serve as a second witness, and she almost cried when I asked her to be a bridesmaid.

"You really want me to?" She said as we were having lunch.

"Rebecca, if it wasn't for your support, I wouldn't have gotten hired at the museum. So in a way, you brought Akhmenrah and I together."

"I'm just so excited! You're going to look beautiful."

"I hope so. That dress was not cheap." We laughed, ate and went over final plans for the big day. When we got back, my mother called Rebecca into the kitchen to help her with something.

"Are you alright, darling?" I nodded.

"I'm fine, Akhmenrah. I was just thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"Well, I know you and your brother never got along, but I could sense it when I met him that Kahmunrah still cared about you, even though he would never have dared to admit it. A small part of me thinks he would like to be here to watch you get married."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. I don't get along with my brother very well, but I know he cares about me, and I'm sure that Kahmunrah still cares about you."

"I always wished we could have found a way to repair our relationship."

"Well, there might be something. I was on the phone with McPhee earlier and your brother is arriving at the museum tomorrow. I always knew I hadn't seen the last of him after what happened at the Smithsonian." We sat quietly for a while, watching television. When we got to the museum that evening, there was a hustle of activity.

"Dr McPhee, what's going on?"

"It's brilliant, really! Kahmunrah arrived earlier than I anticipated, so the movers are just finishing putting together his exhibit." The others would not be pleased at this.

"Oh, that's good." Once McPhee left, I began to head upstairs.

"I'm going to have a few words with him."

"Just be careful." I nodded at Akhmenrah.

"Don't worry. I can handle him." If I maintained a polite and respectful attitude, I figured that I could at least have a few minutes. When the tablet woke everyone up, Kahmunrah was surprised to see me standing where I was.

"What are you doing there?"

"I wanted to talk to you." His guards backed down, recognizing I did not have ill intentions.

"Listen, I haven't seen you for almost a year and a half. A lot has changed. Your brother and I are getting married in a few days and despite the fact that nobody will want you there, I want you to witness this. I know you and Akhmenrah don't get along, but if you two could set aside your differences for a few hours, I would appreciate it."

"Continue."

"I know what it's like to not get along with a brother. I have an older brother myself, and he's made a lot of bad choices, but he still cares about me. Even though you will never dare to admit it, I know you still care about Akhmenrah, and he wishes the two of you could start getting along as brothers should. I know why you don't like him, and you have every right to be angry. But keep in mind it wasn't Akhmenrah who made that decision, it was your father. So your anger is misdirected at Akhmenrah because your father isn't here." There was a moment of silence. Kahmunrah motioned for his guards to allow us some privacy. He looked out the window.

"I've messed up."

"You've made a lot of bad choices. However, everyone deserves a second chance, and it's about damn time you got yours. I'm willing to forgive you for what happened at the Smithsonian if you are willing to start being nicer to everyone." There was a few more moments of silence before he agreed. We shook hands on it. Heading downstairs, we explained to the other exhibits what was going to happen.

"Listen, I know this is short notice."

"Well, if Alexandria believes my brother can be trusted, then I think we should give him a second chance." Reluctantly, everyone agreed. We set out the rules as we always did with new arrivals and everyone went off and did their own thing. I was talking with Sacagawea.

"Are you absolutely sure Kahmunrah can be trusted?"

"I'm sure. I know he's made a lot of bad choices, but everyone deserves a second chance."

"Then I trust you are making the right decision." She said as we played cards.

"I'm nervous."

"You'll be fine. A wedding is a time of joy."

"I know, but I just hope I'll make a good wife." The night went by quickly, as did the rest of the week. When Saturday arrived, I had knots in my stomach. I had a few hours left of being an unmarried woman. Coming downstairs for breakfast, I was enveloped in a hug from both of my parents.

"My little girl is getting married!"

"Yeah, are you going to let go of me? I can't breathe." We had breakfast and went over last minute plans.

"I'm going to pick up the food later this evening."

"It's great we could get it for half price if we picked it up." I had a few moments alone with my father whilst my mother was on the phone.

"You know, I remember when I first met you when you were just a baby. You would cry every time I held you, but I did my best to raise you right. Now you're all grown up and getting married. You'll always be my little princess."

"Dad, you do realize that even though Akhmenrah is no longer Pharaoh, that I am, in all accounts an actual Princess by marriage?"

"I know. It's hard for any father to realize his daughter is all grown up, but it's even harder for him to realize he has to let her go." I smiled.

"Thanks dad." We hugged. I did my best to cut down on nerves by drinking some tea and doing relaxing activities. When it was time to head to the museum, I came downstairs in my white gown, ready to leave. My mother took several pictures of my and my father together, and set the camera up for some family pictures.

"Are you ready?" I nodded.

"I'm ready." We got in the car and went to pick up the food. McPhee had stopped by earlier that day with some flowers and a card congratulating me. I got along rather well with him, most likely because we both had a no-nonsense attitude about life.

"Alright, everyone is in place." When I entered the lobby, all eyes were on me. I felt like I never had before. Everyone was staring at me. I waited for a few moments for Akhmenrah to arrive, giving me a chance for a few last words with Kahmunrah.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. I hope I can make your brother happy."

"You damn well better or you'll have me to answer to." When everything was said and done, a small part of me was still in shock that I was now a married woman. Sacagawea took pictures of everyone with the camera once I showed her which buttons to press to take the pictures. There was a 'royal portrait' done of myself, Akhmenrah, Kahmunrah and my parents. Once the pictures were done, I decided to change.

"If we're going to have a party, I don't want this dress getting ruined." I said as I left. Once I returned, the reception was in full swing. People were talking, dancing and having a damn good time. It was a good thing my mother and I bought a whole bunch of snacks earlier today, as we knew everyone would be hungry. Even though they didn't need to eat, they could if they chose to. I was playing a card game with Akhmenrah and Kahmunrah. Octavius was observing.

"I'm glad everyone's having a good time. That's what weddings are for, to celebrate a new chapter in life with the people you care about."

"Octavius is absolutely right." I said as I lay down my cards in victory once again.

"Well, I'm grateful. Not only did I marry a wonderful woman, but I'm finally getting along with my brother. I never did stop caring about you."

"Neither did I." Once it was time for everyone to go to sleep for the day, Akhmenrah and I were able to check into a hotel for a week to have some time together.

"I can come in and check on things." My dad said.

"Okay, I know Teddy will appreciate the help." Things really were changing at the museum. After a while, Rebecca had decided to give Larry a second chance since he had sold his company, and he had come back for a visit, but a lot of the exhibits were a bit upset because he hadn't been there in so long.

"I'll make it up to you. It'll take a long time, but I can see that Alexandria has really brought you all together." I had to smile at that. Larry was making a genuine attempt to repair his friendships with everyone.

"Larry, I know you want to repair the mistakes you've made. Everyone here recognizes that." He nodded.

"Yeah. Rebecca showed me the pictures from the wedding. You looked awesome."

"Thank you! That dress was worth every penny I paid for it." Going into work the following night as I always did, I brought my parents with me. Rebecca had also showed up.

"Where's Larry?"

"He got that flu bug that's been going around and wasn't feeling up to being here tonight." I nodded.

"I hope he feels better soon. Make sure everyone's in the lobby. I have an announcement to make." My father kept the more curious exhibits away from the large cake that was in the front lobby, as well as the hundreds of cupcakes. Once everyone was in place, I called for their attention.

"It's great you're all here! Akhmenrah and I are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are expecting our first baby! This cake, when cut will tell us whether we have a boy or a girl on the way."

"How will it do that?" Kahmunrah looked rather funny when he was confused.

"The inside of the cake will be either pink for a girl or blue for a boy. Would you come up here and help us?" He didn't need asking twice.

"Alright, three, two, one!" There was a quiet moment of anticipation that was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

"Well?" Octavius was the first to speak. I nodded at Kahmunrah. He had really changed over the past few months, and I wanted to let him have this moment.

"My sister in law is carrying a little Princess." There were cheers everywhere. I was excited that my first born would be a girl. Pieces of cake were passed out along with one cupcake for everyone. Each cupcake had a little pink flower on top.

"Well that didn't take long!" Rebecca joked.

"I can't wait to be a mother." As always, things settled back into a normal routine.

"How are you feeling?" I smiled at Akhmenrah.

"Fine. Our daughter has started kicking." I took his hand and placed it on my belly.

"What are you going to name her?" Rebecca came over to our apartment for lunch that day.

"I haven't really thought about it. Akhmenrah, what do you think?"

"Well, I really like the name Zahra." I blinked.

"Wasn't that your mother's name?"

"Yes, it was. I do wish my parents could be here to see this." I smiled.

"Then Zahra it is." Akhmenrah was happy that I agreed to name our daughter after his mother, with whom he had been very close.

"Pretty soon you won't be able to come to the museum as much."

"I know Rebecca, but my daughter comes first. I know my mother gave me up for adoption because she wanted me to have a good life. I know she loved me, it's why she did what she did. I love my daughter and I want her to have the best life I can give her." Even though I was seven months pregnant, I still came to the museum several times a week. My father had retired from his old job, and went to McPhee to volunteer services as a night guard, which he accepted. As I was sitting in the lobby, I made sure to enjoy every minute of being here, as this would be my last time before delivering my daughter.

"Are you nervous?"

"A bit, Teddy. I want to be a good mother, but part of me is afraid I won't be." He put a hand on my shoulder.

"You'll make an excellent mother." I smiled.

"Thanks." I had a few moments to think to myself. I couldn't wait for Zahra to arrive. I was really looking forward to meeting her, and I was eager to know what she looked like. Placing my hands on my belly, I could feel her kicking like crazy. Akhmenrah of course was sitting next to me as he always did.

"Go get my mother." I told him. Like any good husband, he did. My parents came back a few minutes later, and of course my mother asked if I was alright.

"Actually mom, I think my water just broke."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Little Princess

"How is Alexandria?"

"She's fine. Actually, she's almost ready to start pushing." Not wanting to be apart from his wife any longer, Akhmenrah went into the small room. I was relieved. The water in the little pool I would be bringing Zahra into the world in really did help with easing the pain from the contractions.

"We can still give you something to manage the pain." I shook my head.

"Absolutely not. I don't want to put my baby at risk." I had my mother on one side, Akhmenrah on the other and Rebecca was sitting behind me. My father sat in a chair, using his camera recorder to record the birth of his first grandchild.

"The doctor will be here in a few minutes to check you." Rebecca said, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"Alright." Even though I knew the chances of anything happening with an epidural were slim, I didn't want to risk it. My mother had suffered with chronic pain for several years after my brother had been born because of it, and I didn't want to risk injuring myself and being unable to care for my daughter. When the doctor came in to check me, he did so as he had done before.

"I've been delivering babies for over thirty years and you're the first mother I've ever met who has refused any pain medication."

"It's what's best for my baby. It's not about me, it's about her." A horrible contraction ripped through me, and I couldn't hide my pain.

"Alright, we're ready to have this baby. On the next contraction, give me a big push." I had only been in labour for four and a half hours and I was ready to finally have my baby. The thought of her was what was helping me through this.

"Okay, you're doing great! The head is starting to crown and this baby has a lot of dark hair." After almost five hours of labour and pushing for five minutes, I could hear the crying of my newborn daughter. I breathed a massive sigh of relief. Like any good mother, I was more concerned about my baby than I was for myself.

"Alexandria, she's beautiful!" Rebecca and my parents were in tears of joy. The doctor lay Zahra on my chest and she stopped crying. It was a beautiful moment.

"Would you like to cut the cord?"

"Absolutely!" Akhmenrah didn't need telling twice. I could tell he was one proud father. Zahra was taken to the other side of the room so she could be cleaned up, weighed and measured. Rebecca and my mother helped me out of the pool so I could get dried off. Rebecca helped me get dressed and brought me over to the chair that sat in the corner of the room. It had a little stool so I could put my feet up. Zahra was brought back over by her very proud father.

"She's going to be a real beauty." Rebecca said as she took a picture.

"Of course she will. Look at her mother." Lots of pictures were taken. After an hour, my parents and Rebecca went out for a few hours to give Akhmenrah and I some time to bond with our daughter. By this time, Zahra had opened her eyes and was looking at us.

"She looks so much like me."

"You're right Akhmenrah, she does. Although she does have your brother's dark eyes. Zahra doesn't get that from either of us." When she cried a few moments later wanting to be fed, Akhmenrah had a cheeky grin.

"She also has his big mouth." I couldn't help but laugh at that. Later that morning at nine, I was discharged and allowed to go home.

"Should we bring her to the museum tonight or wait a few days?" Akhmenrah just beamed at the now sleeping Zahra.

"I want to show her to everyone." I nodded.

"Alright. Rebecca, can you pack the diaper bag for me?"

"Sure, I can do that." Zahra was proving to be a quiet baby so far, only crying when she needed to be fed, changed, held, or burped. When we got to the museum, I was looking forward to showing her off. When the museum woke up, Rexy of course roared as he always did, and of course Zahra got a bit fussy.

"It's alright, little one. Mummy's right here." She settled back down after a few moments. Rexy seemed to sense that she was upset and left as quietly as he could. Absolutely everyone wanted to see Zahra, and she proved to be very popular. The miniatures were almost fascinated with her whilst Kahmunrah was smitten with her already. Jedediah as always was his usual, loud mouthed self.

"Do you mind shutting up? My niece needs her sleep." I passed her off to her uncle, who was clearly very proud.

"Everyone seems to be in agreement she has your eyes. They're so dark." Zahra took a few minutes to look at everyone before falling back to sleep. We had Rebecca, Larry, Sacagawea and Teddy as godparents.

"I've never been a godmother before."

"Well, you've never been a godmother to a Princess before, have you?" I blinked.

"How is Zahra a Princess?" Kahmunrah handed my daughter back to me.

"You're only royal by marriage. Zahra is royal by blood." I nodded.

"Ah, I get it now." Zahra was a perfect baby in every way possible. Ten little fingers and toes. When we got home that morning, I lay Zahra in her bassinet in our bedroom.

"She's beautiful." Akhmenrah said as he brought me breakfast.

"Yeah. I can't get over how beautiful she is."

"We've truly been blessed." I picked Zahra up when she started to get fussy. She calmed down when she was in my arms.

As Akhmenrah and I looked down at our daughter, we realized how lucky we are as parents.

Life truly was sweet.


End file.
